


Respite

by roseyanon



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:41:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22086556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseyanon/pseuds/roseyanon
Summary: Dream was just looking to have a nice nap after winning a difficult fight, but runs into a bit of a surprise. If said surprise is good or bad remains to be seen.
Relationships: Dream & Nightmare, Dreams Sans & Nightmare Sans
Comments: 10
Kudos: 79





	Respite

**Author's Note:**

> hello, thanks for giving my fic a look! this is my first time writing either of them, but they are certainly ripe with potential for Brotherly Feels :)
> 
> enjoy!

The multiverse is a vast place.

Cliche turn of phrase but heck if it wasn't true. Dream had seen a lot since becoming friends with Ink, from the silly to the heart breaking. But while there seemed to exist variations of everyone and everything, for whatever reason there were a handful of people that were "unique," as Ink had put it. There was only one Error, one Ink. One Dream.  
One Nightmare.

But apparently not one multiverse.

The discovery came about in honestly such a "stereotypical" way, as far as discovering alternate planes of reality goes. A botched teleport, aiming for somewhere normal only to end up stranded elsewhere. Dream and Ink had just finished chasing Error out of an AU that had been highly damaged during their fight. Ink was starting to repair things and Dream had made a portal to go to a quiet AU he frequented to unwind. The jump had felt off part way through, but in true cliche fashion Dream had just shrugged, thinking nothing of it. He continued to think nothing until he reached the clearing he liked to nap in, and saw _Nightmare_ reading in his spot instead. Nightmare, lost in a book and corruption free like he hasn't been since the Tree.

It was like a punch to Dream's sternum. Centuries since he's seen his brother so calm, so relaxed, so _himself_. But with the many years of life experience he now has, Dream saw the signs of stress that still lingered, even as Nightmare's mind was a million miles away. Had the signs been there even Before? If Dream had paid more attention to his brother, cared less about the villagers, could he have prevented things? Dream considered such thoughts with a heavy SOUL, and thus before he could start wondering such things like 'how did Nightmare become uncorrupted?' said brother seemed to have sensed the negative feelings. Distractedly the other looked up from his book... and froze upon seeing Dream. There was a long moment where neither moved, even the air fell still. Then Nightmare glared, and Dream's soul sunk a little lower.

"What do you think you're doing here?" It was the same biting tone Dream had gotten used to hearing from his brother, but having it come from a version of Nightmare that Dream hadn't seen in what felt like lifetimes made it hurt in all new ways. Sockets cast down at his hands, Dream tried to think of something to say, tried to decide if he wanted to just run away or attempt to get closer. In the end, all he could manage was to lamely mutter, "I- I came here to take a nap..." Dream flushed with embarrassment and couldn't bring himself to look up and see how this alternate version of his brother would respond. His answer did NOTHING to address the actual issues at hand, Night was probably just being rhetorical anyway, why can't Dream just-!  
"Fine."  
Dream's head snapped up to stare at Nightmare, but the other had gone back to his book. "I will allow you take one nap in my reading spot," Nightmare droned in an uninterested tone of voice. "But when you wake up I do not want to hear one word of complaint about any bad dreams you have." Nightmare looked up again to pin the other with a stern look that at least wasn't a glare anymore. "Am I understood?" Before Dream could consider otherwise he was nodding and found himself settling down next to Nightmare.

For a few minutes there was nothing but the distant calls of small wildlife in the wilderness around them, and the rhythmic sound of Nightmare turning pages in his book. Dream had curled in on himself, facing towards his brother. After a few moments though he opened his eyes to look up at Nightmare. Again Dream felt paralyzed with conflicting urges. He should say something for goodness sake! But Nightmare always hated it when he'd try to talk to him while reading... What if as soon as Nightmare finished reading he left, before Dream got the chance to say anything? What did Dream want to say to Nightmare in the first place? (I'm sorry, I love you, Please come home-)  
"... I miss you brother."

It was said quietly, in a soft voice that was practically a whisper. If Nightmare had truly been focused on his book he probably wouldn't have heard it. Instead his eyelights immediately focused on Dream, the look somewhat considering. Dream tried to hold his gaze, but upon feeling tears start to build he looked down and hid halfheartedly in his arms. What had he hoped to accomplish with that confession? This may be Nightmare, but it wasn't his brother. (Dream wondered if this was how Sans type monsters feel when they begin visiting other worlds and see alternates of their murdered kin.) Before Dream can fully start crying though, he's shocked to stillness at the feeling of a gentle hand on his skull. Nightmare's voice is quiet, like sharing a heavy secret when he admits, "I miss you too, sometimes." When Dream starts crying in earnest, expressing emotions that he hadn't dared to let bleed to the surface even in privacy, for fear of leading Nightmare and his gang to whatever sanctuary Dream has found, in the here and now the hand on his head continues to gently soothe, even as a once familiar aura encourages Dream to let out all his sorrows. When he sleeps, there are no bad dreams, and when he wakes up, there's no Nightmare. There is a note however, left for him pinned under a small rock. Dream reads the note, a few more tears falling as he does so. Then with a deep breath, he wipes his face clear and quietly leaves, aiming for the Doodle Sphere. He still misses his brother, and probably always will. But being able to fully express that ache has left him feeling more energized than he's been in a long, long time.

  
-

_"D,_

_I don't know how you got here, but I'm sure you already understand it's vital that you return to where you came from. It's okay to take a break from time to time, but it's important to not give up. There are people that care about you; let them._

_Stay safe,_  
_~NM_

**Author's Note:**

> as ever, Laughing_Zombie is who inspired this :) they're the one who got me interested in nightmare in the first place, and they had written some fics with the setting of dream is the one cursed, not nightmare. i loved the idea for the emotional hurt, dream seeing what could have been, so i went for it =u= (or at least half of what could have been; he didn't run into his other self after all, haha.)
> 
> i know zombie didn't come up with this kind of swap dreamtale, but i don't know the name of the person who did. if you could let me know in the comments i'd appreciate it! i know i've seen mostly art of swap!dream, so maybe there isn't writings for it?
> 
> thank you for reading! i hope you enjoyed it enough for a kudos :D


End file.
